Martins, Lehigh women wear down Boston University

Harry Fisher / THE MORNING CALL

Lehigh's Lexi Martins is fouled by Villanova's Taylor Holeman (left) during women's basketball game at Stabler Arena on Thursday, November 14, 2013. Martins is back in full form this year after suffering a serious sinus infection that hindered her play last season.

Lehigh's Lexi Martins is fouled by Villanova's Taylor Holeman (left) during women's basketball game at Stabler Arena on Thursday, November 14, 2013. Martins is back in full form this year after suffering a serious sinus infection that hindered her play last season. (Harry Fisher / THE MORNING CALL)

Lexi Martins struggled to find herself on and off the court last season at Lehigh.

Playing time was less than half of what the freshman was used to.

The Mountain Hawks' offensive system limited the skills she could show.

And, Martins couldn't breath.

"I had 30 percent access in my nasal passages," she said. "I got a sinus infection in December and it spiraled."

Martins' revitalization this season is a combination of sinus surgery allowing her to breath normally again and a new offensive system that frees up her and other Lehigh post players to show off their versatility.

Saturday afternoon against Boston University, Martins showed off all of her skills. She made three 3-pointers, scrapped for five offensive rebounds, scored a career-high 26 points and posted her ninth double-double in 12 games this season.

That all helped Lehigh pull away for an 85-64 victory at Stabler Arena.

Martins had a game-high 12 rebounds for the Mountain Hawks, who are 10-2 overall and 2-0 in Patriot League play for the first time in six years.

"She's not afraid to shoot the 3," Lehigh coach Sue Troyan said. "One of the big strengths in recruiting her was her versatility. She's a phenomenal rebounder, one of the best I've coached. She has a nose for exactly where the ball is going."

Troyan knew where she was going immediately after last year's disappointing 13-18 campaign ended. She called former Lehigh and current Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw to set up a three-day visit to South Bend, Ind.

Troyan came back for her 20th season at Lehigh with a revamped offense that requires post players to step out on the perimeter. It also allows for contributors from everywhere on the court.

Martins and all the major players spent eight weeks this past summer digesting the new offensive system and, though it remains a work-in-progress, it clearly is working.

"All the girls love it," Martins said.

Junior Kerry Kinek, a Central Catholic graduate, was the main reason for Troyan's visit to Notre Dame. Kinek was anchored on the block and facing nightly double and triple teams. She still was forced to lead the offense.

This season, there is no such need. Kinek, averaging 14.4 points and 8.7 rebounds per game coming into Saturday, had just eight on 3-for-11 shooting and seven boards.

The Mountain Hawks, just OK offensively according to Troyan, still put up 85 — one point shy of their season high, which came in Wednesday's league opener at Colgate.

"We need to make better reads, be more patient," Troyan said. "There's lot of room to improve."

Lehigh was much better defensively in the second half against Boston, which had 41 at the break after averaging 52.8 point per game in its previous six games — all losses.

The Mountain Hawks, who led by just four at half, were aggressive with double teams in the post and on screens and forced the short-handed Terriers into 25.8 percent shooting after the break.

"We all were challenged by the coaches at halftime," Martins said, "to take personal pride in the girl you were guarding. We needed to lock down and trust that if we got beat, that our teammates would be there to help."

Lehigh leads the league in scoring offense at 76.8 ppg., but is near the bottom in scoring defense at 67.8.

That hasn't gone unnoticed by Troyan. She knows the players' commitment defensively will have to improve if the Mountain Hawks are to play deep into March.

"We've really preached the last couple of weeks that if you look back at the league champions the last 10 years, it's been a defensive team that's won," she said, "not an offensive team.

"Defense is an area we've got to commit to being better."

Meghan Green scored 14 points to lead Boston, all coming in the first half when Lehigh was getting beat off the dribble and on post-ups in the lane.

Katie O'Reilly had 11 points and Quinci Mann 10 for the Mountain Hawks, who have done well to this point in the season against two of the league's weaker teams.

Martins' progress is proof that this team will push to get better.

"Every time I see my surgeon when I go back home, I tell him he made a 180-degree difference for me," the sophomore said.